A standout wide receiver for the Bears from 1988-1991, Rodd
Torbert was a fixture in the Brown offense throughout his career.
Standing in at 6-3, Torbert was a big target to throw to, and he
always delivered. When he left Brown in 1992, Torbert had his place
in Brown football history, not to mention the record books. Coming
to College Hill from Newark, Ohio, Torbert's freshman season was
successful. He led the freshman team with 10 receptions for 216
yards. He jumped onto the varsity scene as a sophomore, hauling in
24 passes for 200 yards. While Torbert's sophomore year was a
success, it was only a mere preview of what was to come as a
junior. He set Brown single season records with 67 catches and 907
yards receiving, while scoring 6 touchdowns. Torbert had 6.7
receptions and 90.80 receiving yards per game, ranking him fourth
and ninth in the nation, respectively. All this was good enough to
earn First Team All-Ivy honors. As a senior, Rodd was well on his
way to breaking the records he had set the previous year before a
leg injury ended his season and career on College Hill. At the time
of his injury, he had 36 receptions for 543 yards. In fact, he
caught three passes for 43 yards that day, not knowing how serious
his injury was. That type of determination and leadership earned
him the respect of teammates and coaches everywhere. Although he
only played half the season, he was still selected as a Second Team
All-Ivy performer in his senior year. Torbert was also much more
than a football player at Brown. He was a standout in the classroom
as well. A Business Economics concentrator, Rodd was awarded the
Class of 1910 Football Award in 1991, given to "the senior with the
highest scholastic standing." He was also selected as a 1991 CoSIDA
District I Academic All-American. Providence Journal columnist Bill
Reynolds referred to the football star, who also played varsity
basketball at Brown, as "everything that's good about sports."
After serving as an officer in the United States Army for six
years, Torbert was honorably discharged as a Captain, and is
currently an independent sales representative for Jostens, Inc. He
makes his home in Avon, Ohio, with his wife Kristin and his two
sons, Zackary, 3, and Max, 6 months.